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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28631379">internal travesties</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thexanwillshine/pseuds/thexanwillshine'>thexanwillshine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>remember me when the stars align [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>0.5 jk for both, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst for everyone, Eremika - Freeform, F/M, Fluff for everyone, Levi and Cleaning (Shingeki no Kyojin), Mikasa Ackerman &amp; Levi Are Related, Mikasa Ackerman &amp; Levi Are Siblings, Reincarnation, Reincarnation! AU, Spoilers, all fluff is for levihan, all the angst is for eremika only, ch105 spoilers, ch115 spoilers, ch132 spoilers, kinda siblings? she's his cousin lmao basta theyre related, levihan - Freeform, major fluff, slight angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:28:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28631379</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thexanwillshine/pseuds/thexanwillshine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi felt his eye twitch in annoyance. She didn't look particularly special, but she entered (no, infiltrated) his cafe with bright eyes and all smiles, making him feel things that he never even felt before. </p><p>Which was, in his opinion, completely unacceptable. Levi Ackerman hated feeling out of control. </p><p>[Reincarnation! AU] [Levihan] [Minor Eremika]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Levi &amp; Hange Zoë, Levi/Hange Zoë, Mikasa Ackerman &amp; Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman &amp; Armin Arlert &amp; Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman/Eren Yeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>remember me when the stars align [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2093244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>326</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. the mind forgets; the body remembers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> His memories feel like a travesty.  </em>
</p><p>Ever since he was young, Levi couldn’t help but feel as if there was something missing in his life. </p><p>His brushes with insomnia gave him headaches no painkiller could cure. It was on those days that Levi’s mind went wild and his thoughts plagued him, ridding him of the sweet drug called sleep. Lonely nights like that made the man feel tired, as his brain was constantly exhausting itself in its search for answers he didn’t even know the questions to. </p><p>On this particular cold night, he gives in to need, and chooses to contemplate his life. </p><p>Levi could say that he had a fairly normal childhood. Even with his sweet darling of a mother, an invisible father, and his gloomy, sort-of sister, it had been rather uneventful. Technically, Mikasa was his cousin, but since they had grown up together she might as well have been his younger sister. Mikasa’s mother (his aunt) had asked if Mikasa could stay with his family when she turned ten so that the young girl could get a good school in the city. His mother, saint that she was, obviously agreed. </p><p>He could remember a time when the young girl would always drag him to supervise her and her friends (all of whom were taller than Levi now, much to his chagrin) to pacify the concerns of Levi’s mother. As Mikasa matured, the young girl stopped making him constantly accompany her, since his mother trusted Mikasa enough to take care of herself at this point. In fact, Levi thought she would probably go out of her way just to get him <em> not </em>to come. Except when he would drive her. That darned girl thinks that he’s her own personal chauffeur.</p><p>While the two had their grievances, they maintained an understanding between them. Levi inherited his mother’s cafe called <em> The Underground, </em> and Mikasa went on to continue her parents’ legacy in the field of biology, choosing to major in botany like her mother. Sometimes, whenever Mikasa didn’t have midterms or finals or any exam that could potentially ruin her future, he would allow her to help out in the cafe once in a while. That way, she could <em> technically </em>say that she had experience working. It also gave Levi a good excuse to have extra hands. For Mikasa, it was a good way to earn money even though she didn’t really need to; Levi would give her cash whenever she would ask. </p><p>Contrary to popular belief, Levi did <em> have </em> friends. There was Eld, the assistant manager he knew he could rely on because of his leadership skills. Oruo, who worked better as a cashier because of his case of <em> Constant Threat of Tongue-Biting Which Could Lead To Bleeding </em>. As much as possible, Levi wanted to keep him away from food. Gunther, who’s speed in the kitchen was god-tier. Then there was Petra, a young, budding barista whose skills were definitely commendable. </p><p>Granted, all his friends were people who worked for him in the restaurant. There were several kids who worked for him part-time but they were more his responsibility rather than friends. Most of them were Mikasa’s friends, so at least there was someone accountable for them. Although, he had to admit they were very reliable.  </p><p>There’s also that one lawyer who had taken it upon himself to consistently come every morning to the cafe. He said his name was Erwin, and Levi would be lying if he told himself he wasn’t weirded out by the man. The blonde had stared him down on several occasions, as if waiting for him to say something. Once, when Levi couldn’t take it anymore, he asked him directly. </p><p>
  <em> “Any particular reason why you’re always staring openly at me?” Levi had asked rudely, scrunching his eyebrows at the man in confusion.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Erwin shook his head in response before introducing himself, even handing the coffee owner a business card. Levi stared at the business card, wondering why in the world he would need a lawyer (god forbid he ever needs one, he’d rather not go to court over anything, really). Erwin Smith, the card had read. “You’ll see me here often since my father works close by.”  </em>
</p><p>After that, Erwin had frequented the cafe and even made friends with his employees. Petra says he tips very generously. Oruo thinks Erwin can do better. Levi doesn’t necessarily give a <em> flying </em>fuck, but he can’t help but feel as if he’d met or at least seen Erwin somewhere before. </p><p>Levi goes on with his somewhat boring life. Once in a while, whenever he was feeling particularly sociable, he would agree to a cup of tea with Erwin and engage in random conversations about his job and his life. The man was not a pain to talk to. In fact, the entire time they talked, Levi was nagged by a certain familiarity he couldn’t quite place. He felt as if he knew the blond on a much deeper level than he was aware of. He shrugs it off. </p><p>Sometimes, Levi would accompany his friends for drinks (but would never drink any, he hated the taste of alcohol with a passion). Apart from his sudden bouts of social energy,  the man thought his life to be ritualistic, monotone, and organized. He wasn’t complaining, of course; this is exactly what Levi wanted. Sometimes, however, whenever he would be driving home alone with the silence nagging his ears . . . Levi would feel an emptiness emerging from the back of his mind, clouding his thoughts until dawn.</p><p>His mind flew back to Erwin as he remembered the lawyer asking him a question in passing on a particularly slow work day. He had been clearing the table beside the blond when Erwin spoke. <em> “Don’t you ever feel as if all your life, you’ve been waiting for something to happen? Like all these good things come to you but nothing really ever feels enough?” </em></p><p><em> Levi had glared at him, because </em> yes <em> , he definitely </em> has <em> . That </em> every waking moment of his life <em> he could </em> never feel truly satisfied <em> . He chose to maintain his silence.  </em></p><p>
  <em> To Erwin’s credit, he dropped the subject and smiled softly, as if he could sense Levi’s discomfort. “Sorry,” Erwin said, chuckling. The man waved a wad of papers in his hand. “This case has been particularly mind-provoking, so I’ve been randomly spouting out philosophical questions to anyone who would be willing to listen.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Good luck,” Levi replied shortly, taking the tray of empty cups in his hands and walking towards the staff room.  </em>
</p><p>Many a time, Levi had wondered how much of him was an open book. He liked to think that he was a pretty closed-off, ambiguous kind of guy. But Erwin had pretty much hit the mark—Levi had indeed settled, but he wasn’t sure if he was satisfied. </p><p>Unfortunately, Erwin wasn’t the only blond who spouted weird questions out of the blue.</p><p>Levi had known Armin Arlert since he was a young boy. He remembers glaring at bullies who would tease and mock the poor child, before taking Mikasa and her rowdy group of troublemakers to another playground. Levi knew Mikasa was a reserved child, but it seemed as if her maternal instincts kicked in whenever she could sense Armin was in danger. While the young girl’s other friends were strong enough to defend themselves from the bullies whenever they were the target, Mikasa had long established that people shouldn’t even <em> dare </em> cross her (or her even scarier big “brother”). </p><p>When Armin turned fifteen, his gait changed. Gone was the boy who would whimper as quiet as possible whenever he felt threatened. He still maintained his love for reading, but Armin suddenly adopted a mature mindset that seemed as if he possessed knowledge well-beyond his years. For a time, Mikasa would express her worry for the teenager in her and Levi’s rare conversations. Apparently, Armin had cried and launched himself on both Mikasa and Eren, holding them close to him as if the three of them had spent years apart from each other . . . when in fact, it was the middle of the day. </p><p>Levi was no stranger to Armin’s inquisitive questions about topics the dark-haired man knew nothing of (and didn’t bother to care about). Hence, he thought that the young blond’s strange inquiries couldn’t get any stranger. </p><p>Obviously, Levi was wrong. </p><p>
  <em> “Levi, do you ever feel as if this life was a second chance? Like, as if right now, you’re you, but not really. Like, there was once a past you, who was different from you now, but the you now is still you. So reincarnation, basically. Or maybe we’re in a different dimension and there are others out there who’re living a different life from us. That I’m just one Armin out of multiple Armins in the universe.” Armin’s questions and speculations came in rapid-fire as he leaned on the counter. “What do you think?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I think you need to stop reading science fiction ‘cos it messes with your brain,” Levi responded as he finished counting the coins in the cash register. “Unlike you, I don’t bother with the intricacies of life, brat.” Armin’s inquisitive expression fell into one of dismay as he frowned.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Levi sighed inwardly as he closed the cash register. “I think the idea of reincarnation makes more sense compared to multiple universes though.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Armin immediately brightened up when he looked at Levi, before diverting his gaze at Mikasa in what seemed like triumph. “I told you so!” he chirped gleefully. Thanks Levi.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Mikasa didn’t reply, but her scalding glare told Levi everything she wanted to say:  ‘Don’t encourage him!’ Levi rolled his eyes and went back to the kitchen, shutting out Eren’s excited questions (“Do you really think we had past lives? Do you think I was cool? Oh my god, what if I was a knight! Or a dinosaur? Or a giant hu—”) effectively by closing the door.  </em>
</p><p>Levi did give Armin’s questions some thought. There were indeed days wherein he felt out of place in his own skin, like he was living a life meant for someone else. There were also days when he would feel as if he was grasping at threads, trying to figure out what in his life wasn’t in place. However, the concept of reincarnation was something that seemed implausible to him especially because he didn’t believe in the divine. </p><p>The dark-haired man closed his eyes, placing his arm on his forehead as he shifted underneath the  covers. The clock read 15:06, which meant that he had already been awake for a grand total of 23 hours. At four in the morning, he would need to take over the night shift, which Eld was currently in charge of. </p><p>Once again, he is faced with a dilemma: (1) try to get some sleep so that he can get a bit of rest and risk giving Eld overtime, or (2) suck it up and accept the fact that this day was going to be another one of his 48-hour days.</p><p>The answer was obvious. Levi was not the type of person to let others suffer for his mistakes. So he grit his teeth, pushed himself out of bed, and headed to his bathroom to take a hot shower.</p><p>
  <em> He really needs to get some rest.  </em>
</p><p>When Levi exited the bathroom thirty minutes later, dressed and ready for work, someone was knocking on his door. Levi scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. It was nearly four in the morning. With his mother in Sina for a conference and Mikasa due to wake at six in the morning, there should be no one in the house to bother him at the ungodly hour. </p><p>He opened the door and was proven wrong when his sight was greeted by Mikasa. She had puffy eyes, tear-streaked cheeks, and shivering lips. The poor girl held her black scarf close to herself as if it would help ease whatever pain she was feeling. Levi blinked at the sight, unsure of what to say. He tried anyway. </p><p>“What’s wrong, brat? Mosquito get stuck in your ear again?” Mikasa shook her head<em> . </em>Levi sighed as he noted that she didn’t give him her traditional glare. “Need to talk about it?” </p><p>She opened her mouth and closed it again in response. She does this thrice before Levi interrupts her. </p><p>“<em> Oi, </em>fishface, is it a yes or a no?” </p><p>Mikasa shook her head a second time. </p><p>“Well, brat, how do you expect me to help you?” Levi pushed his door open and let his cousin in. Mikasa entered clumsily (different from her usual composed self, he noted) and sat at the edge of his bed. </p><p>Levi glanced at his glowing clock before choosing to text Eld. He’s going to be late and Eld would have to work overtime. Levi wasn’t entirely sure if he’d make it to the cafe by four (even though it was just a five minute drive) given the status of his crying sister. </p><p>Mikasa <em> rarely </em> cried, and even if she did, she wouldn’t go to <em> him </em>of all people. She’d most likely sneak out to go visit Eren or Armin, which is nothing the young girl hadn’t done before. So, Levi decided, just for today, he would ask Eld for this one favor in order to offer his own personal brand of comfort to his cousin and exist with her as she lamented (not like he can say much to comfort her, anyway). </p><p>He successfully got a reply from Eld, who had agreed to cover the overtime. The assistant manager relayed a bit of concern from Petra, who mentioned that it was very “unlike boss” to show up to work late. Levi was about to send a message informing the two of his <em> personal matters </em> when Mikasa spoke up. </p><p>“You don’t . . . remember anything, do you Captain?” </p><p>“Hah?” Levi asked, half his focus on his phone as he tapped the send button. “Remember what?” </p><p>Mikasa glared at the floor as if begging it to swallow her whole. She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, and buried half of her face behind the dark scarf she was sporting. Offhandedly, Levi wondered when was the last time she washed that thing. He should probably remind Mikasa after her breakdown. </p><p>“Armin wasn’t lying, you know.”</p><p>Confused as ever, he raised an eyebrow. <em> Is she going through a phase? </em>Levi wondered, his mouth set in a grim line. “About what?”</p><p>She spoke to the floor and not really at him. “About the past. The past lives, I mean. Reincarnation, and all that.” </p><p>If Levi had been confused before, he was even <em> more </em>confused now. </p><p>“I can’t talk to you about it,” Mikasa continued, holding her arms closer to her. “No matter how much I try, the words don’t—no, <em> won’t </em>come out.” She let out a sigh, before looking up at Levi, who was already feeling kind of guilty as he wasn’t able to give her much help. </p><p>“Then don’t force yourself to talk if it’s hard for you to, you can just go over it next time,” Levi offered, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing at the clock. <em> I really am bad at this </em>, he thought. </p><p> Mikasa shook her head for the third time that night. “It’s much harder than you think.” She paused and straightened up, inhaling sharply through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. “It seems it doesn’t work like that. I need to talk to Armin. Can you drive me?”</p><p>Levi had no idea what in the world <em> it </em> was and why <em> it </em> doesn’t work like <em> that </em> . Given the complexity of the situation—mostly due to the fact that he was complete <em> shit </em>at giving her help, advice, or anything she needed emotionally, really—he made no attempts to complain about her request to chauffeur her. </p><p>The young girl asked him <em> nicely </em> after all <em> . </em> Maybe she really <em> wasn’t </em> feeling well. </p><p>He nodded. “Don’t you want to get dressed first? You look like a mess.” He scrunched his nose at her scarf, “Also, when’s the last time you washed that thing? That might be really dir—” </p><p>Levi didn’t get to finish the rest of his sentence because Mikasa had thrown the scarf straight up to his face. His eye twitched in annoyance as he plucked the scarf out of his head. He shoved it in Mikasa’s hands. She was lucky the scarf didn’t smell bad, otherwise he would’ve definitely confiscated it and thrown it in the washing machine. “Damn it, <em> brat, </em>learn how to wash your clothes. I’m telling mom.” </p><p>“Blabbermouth, squealer, <em> mama’s boy, </em>” Mikasa retorted, standing up. </p><p>Levi rolled his eyes before grabbing his keys from his bedside table and turning off his lamp. Mikasa had already stepped outside, her black scarf wrapped around her neck. Levi closed his door when he exited, moving in step with the younger woman. She was already calling Armin, and Levi knew that the blond would be ready to accept company when he heard Armin’s sleepy voice respond from the other line. Levi didn’t bother listening, and instead chose to open the car door and wait inside the vehicle (a black four-seater that his invisible father had left him) as Mikasa conversed with Armin. </p><p>She entered after about ten minutes, slamming the car door shut. Levi pulled out of their driveway smoothly. </p><p>“Drop by the cafe if you and Armin need to eat,” Levi said shortly as Mikasa put on her seatbelt. </p><p>“Is it on the house?” </p><p>“Of course, I’ll dock it from your pay.”</p><p>“Some definition of ‘on the house'you have.” </p><p>The ride takes about twenty minutes without traffic, since Armin lived a bit further away. The two Ackermans sat without conversing, both of them listening to the soft sound of music from the radio. </p><p>It’s Levi who broke the silence. “Oi, <em> brat, </em>this isn’t necessarily my business, but shouldn’t you also be calling your other snot-nosed friend?”</p><p>The reply came quicker than he had anticipated. “No.” </p><p>She doesn’t elaborate, so Levi left it at that. Perhaps, he thought, they fought, and that's why the dark-haired woman was acting weird. Either way, he knew it was none of his business. </p><p>They arrive at Armin’s house at about five minutes ‘till five in the morning. Mikasa opened the door, muttering a sincere “thank you” as she left. She closed the door behind her softly, enough to lock it but not loud enough to wake the neighbors. Mikasa gave her older cousin a brief wave and turned around swiftly to Armin’s doorstep before he could even nod in acknowledgement. </p><p>At least he wasn’t the <em>only </em>Ackerman who was bad at showing emotions. </p><p>Armin waves enthusiastically from the doorway, and Levi (unenthusiastically) raises his hand in reply. He then pulled back from the driveway and headed to his cafe. </p><hr/><p>The drive towards The Underground  is short and uneventful. He had already texted Eld in advance that he would be arriving. He brought his car into the parking lot and headed to his designated parking spot, beside the PWD parking near the entrance. To his surprise, there was a car already in his spot. It was a blue pick-up truck that looked worse for wear. </p><p>Levi’s eye twitched in mild annoyance. </p><p>He knew he couldn’t do anything about it since there was no sign that that specific spot was for him (he really, <em> really </em>should do that). Since dawn was normally for students cramming their papers, all of whom didn’t need cars since the university was just walking distance from the cafe, Levi had assumed he wouldn’t need the sign anymore. Clearly, he was wrong. </p><p>Levi sighed before deciding to park two spots beside the pick-up truck. </p><p>Upon entering the cafe, he noticed that there were only about three customers. One was a regular: a blonde girl whose drinks were surrounded by a pile of papers. Her highlighting was careless and panicky. Beside her sat an auburn-haired girl, who was the second customer. Compared to the blonde, she was already lost in sleep.  </p><p>The third customer was someone he never really encountered in his shop before. From where he entered, Levi could see that she was wearing a thick pair of glasses, and that her hands were shoved in a tan coat. She was incredibly tall, and sported dark boots and leggings. The person was currently standing in front of the counter, her eyes focused on the menu splayed out on the bright screens above the coffee machines. </p><p>Levi passed her without giving it much thought, swiftly entering the staff room. Eld grinned at him when he entered, removing his apron and placing it on the rack. “Good morning boss,” he greeted, as Levi grabbed his own apron and swung it over his head. </p><p>“There’s a customer outside,” Levi said nonchalantly. </p><p>Eld nodded in recognition. “Yeah, she comes here every three a.m. on the dot. Leaves before you arrive, so I understand why you’re not familiar with her. Don’t worry though, she looks like she’s thinking now, but she’s going to order the same thing. Make sure to get her a large, sweet cream cold brew nitro.” </p><p>Levi nodded as Eld checked out, bidding him goodbye. Levi dumped his car keys in his locker before he heard the bell ring from outside. That tall person was probably ready to order her americano. </p><p>He exited the door, standing in front of her and checking to see if Eld properly set the cashier for his shift. Levi nodded to himself in approval, as Eld had done his job spectacularly (as always). In about an hour, Jean Kirchstein and Marco Bott would be taking over the cashier while he cleaned the store. He barely glanced at the customer as he mechanically tapped his fingers rhythmically on the register, letting out the practiced “May I take your order?” </p><p>“Good morning! Could I please have a large sweet cream cold brew nitro? To-go, please!” </p><p>Something about her voice made Levi’s blood run cold. He raised his head to look at her. She was smiling at him, her eyes shining with excitement. Her bangs are parted in the middle of her forehead and the rest of her hair is tied in a lazy half-bun. By the greasy state of her auburn hair, it looked like she hadn’t bothered bathing. </p><p>For a reason Levi couldn’t explain (he would later argue that it was because he was so surprised to see that someone could live their life while having hair so <em> dirty </em>), his body grew stiff as he stared at her, transfixed. </p><p>She tilted her head to the side in confusion. “Is something wrong?” she asked, looking at him. “Is my order not available? That’s okay, you know, I can just order something else—” </p><p>Levi interrupted her tirade as he regained control over his body once again, swallowing the odd feeling gnawing at his gut. “Name?” he managed to choke out, trying his best to appear calm. For some strange reason, his heart decided that now was the time for palpitations. </p><p>“Oh!” the person said in surprise, “right, I haven’t seen you here at this hour before! Just put in Hange!”</p><p>His hands moved automatically to input her order. There really is something so . . . <em> familiar </em> about her, but Levi just couldn’t seem to put his finger on it. It reminded him of when he had first met Erwin. He felt like he had seen her from a dream long forgotten in the recesses of his mind, begging to be released and remembered. </p><p>There’s just one problem: he <em> knows </em> he’s never seen this person in his <em> life </em>before. After all, someone who never washed their hair would make a very distinct impression on him. </p><p>“That’ll be four dollars,” Levi said through grit teeth, annoyed at himself for failing to maintain his own composure. Hange nodded fervently as she placed her five dollar bill on the counter. </p><p>“Keep the change!” she declared enthusiastically, before peering at him in concern. “You’re okay, right?” Hange asked. “Sorry, early mornings really aren’t for everyone, huh?”</p><p>He remained silent, placing the bill inside the cash register and shutting it close. Levi didn’t bother answering her question as he allowed his mind to get lost in thought. He continued the patterns of service he had long since memorized, his body on autopilot. </p><p>Levi was always in control of his mind, his body, his spirit . . . so <em> why?  </em> There were a million questions racing through his head. ‘ <em> Who the fuck is this person? Damn, my heart feels like it’s going to pop out of my chest. This isn’t normal.’  </em></p><p>He stole a glance at her lanky form, hoping that she wasn’t at the counter anymore and had taken a seat somewhere in the cafe. To his disappointment, she was still standing there, watching him make the drink. When she saw him look at her, she gave him a tiny wave. </p><p>Levi felt his eye twitch in annoyance. She didn’t look particularly special, but she entered (no, <em> infiltrated) </em> his cafe with bright eyes and all smiles, making him feel things that he <em> never </em>even felt before. </p><p>Which was, in his opinion, completely unacceptable. Levi Ackerman hated feeling out of control. </p><p>He poured the drink into a tall cup expertly before placing it on top of the counter. “Hange,” he called, her name escaping his lips smoothly, as if he had said the syllables a million times before. </p><p>Levi frowned, sensing the beginnings of a migraine in the middle of his eyebrows, so he pinches the area gently, as if the action could relieve some of the pain. </p><p>Hange walked over to the counter, looking a bit concerned. “Hey, Levi,” she started, and the man visibly flinched. Why did the sound of his name from her voice trigger a barrage of emotions he’s never even bothered to feel before?</p><p>Levi dug his nails into the palms of his hands. He was almost about to ask ‘how the fuck do you know me’ and ‘do I fucking know you’ before the rational part of his brain interjected that she had probably seen his name tag. </p><p>His silence gave Hange permission to speak again, so she continued. “Do you have a headache?” Without waiting for him to respond, she smiled. “I got just the thing! I’ll leave you this gift as my thanks for your service!” And with those words, she placed a painkiller on the counter as she gently took her drink. “Take it so you can have a good morning, okay? </p><p>Levi watched her actions cautiously. </p><p>She winked. “Oh, and don’t take it with tea.”  </p><p>Levi’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at this point. The words <em> Do I know you? </em>burst in his mind and died at the edges of his lips. Instead, he muttered a clipped “thank you” to her small token of appreciation. </p><p>She grinned. “Take care, Levi!” </p><p>And with those words, she left, leaving Levi to wonder out loud, “what the fuck just happened?” </p><p>
  <em> The body remembers what the mind has forgotten.   </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. the stars have aligned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>in which Mikasa regains her memories, Erwin contemplates the modern world, and Levi spends time with his "new friends."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>yes hello, good day to all my fellow levihan trash. this has minor eremika but i rlly brotp mikasa and armin, and i like the sibling relationship that mikasa and levi have so hehe. also, there will be slight shifts in POV. i hope you guys don't mind!! it helps me build the narrative. sadly, this fic's narrator is too omnipotent for just one POV LMAO. spoilers for ch115 and ch132 !! you've been warned!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>From that day on, Levi made sure <em> never </em>to be late again. </p><p>Mikasa had gone back to acting like her usual, gloomy self. Whatever she and Armin talked about must have helped her a lot, so Levi didn’t even bother prying. They did end up in the cafe three hours after that <em> freak </em> Hange’s appearance. He had allowed Mikasa to get whatever she needed inside the store, making a mental note that he wouldn’t dock it from her pay. </p><p>A week after that, Armin and Mikasa started spending more time together, both inside and outside the cafe. They would mull over history notes, tables in the cafe surrounded by papers and books. Two lone laptops sat in the middle of it all. Often, the two would spend nights in the cafe without Eren.</p><p>Levi wasn’t particularly concerned, but when Eren approached him in the staffroom (with Jean’s help) during breaktime and asked if Levi thought Mikasa hated him, Levi found his reason to be. </p><p>“Don’t drag me into your personal matters, <em>brat</em>,” He responded to Eren, scoffing. Mikasa <em> did </em> avoid bringing Eren to her conversation with Armin during their last conversation, but he <em> obviously </em>wasn’t going to tell the kid that. </p><p>“Please,” Eren begged, biting his lip. “Armin has been talking to me fine . . . but Mikasa,” the boy shook his head in dismay, “She’s been avoiding me all week and I don’t know what I did wrong. I tried to ask Armin, but he just smiled at me. <em>Pitifully</em>.”</p><p>Eren sighed before muttering under his breath, “I don’t like being pitied.” </p><p>“Tch. And you think <em> I’d </em> know why she’s avoiding you?” Levi raised an eyebrow nonchalantly, putting down the cup of tea he had been sipping placidly before Eren interrupted. “Look kid, if you think you did something wrong, you ask her, not go around asking <em> other </em> people for information. Or, you can just suck it up and deal with it. I don’t know which decision you should choose, so don’t ask me. Whatever decision you make, stick to it. ” </p><p>To say Eren looked disappointed would be an understatement. The boy opened his mouth to speak, before closing it again and settling with a short, “Thanks, Levi. That really does help” without any sarcasm laced in his tone. “I’ll talk to her soon.” </p><p>Levi nodded as he picked up his teacup with his fingertips, bringing the rim of the cup to his lips to sip his tea. Eren soon exited the staff room without saying goodbye, leaving the cafe owner to return to his peaceful silence. </p><p>It was true that Levi didn’t know whether or not Mikasa and Eren had feelings for each other, particularly because he didn’t even bother to ask his younger sister. Mikasa seemed content to treat the young boy as some-sort of brother. On the other hand, Eren was always doting on the young girl as if he was her own mother, especially since Mikasa’s parents had passed. Even though the young girl was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and didn’t need it, Eren was relentless in his care.</p><p>Levi admitted that it was a weird relationship, but it was interesting to see in its own way. </p><hr/><p>Sunday was the only day Levi closed his shop. Unlike other owners, he was dedicated to deep-cleaning the cafe once a week (with or without his employees). Sunday was the perfect day for it since a majority of the university students, who were the cafe regulars, went home that day to their families. </p><p>On that day, Levi normally found himself in the cafe with Mikasa and Armin in tow, both of them clutching their multitude of papers and gadgets. He allowed them to hang around in the shop as long as they followed his rules. After all, the rules he had were relatively simple: (1) Don’t make a mess, (2) Don’t get in the way of cleaning. </p><p>Since the two had a good head on their shoulders, they followed his regulations perfectly. </p><p>It was on one of these Sundays that Mikasa told Levi “I’m not mad at <em> this </em>Eren” after he inquired if she was frustrated with the brown-haired boy. </p><p>“Are there any <em> other </em>Erens I’m not aware of?” Levi retorted without glancing at the girl, his eyes focused on scrubbing the floors. Mikasa crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in response as she leaned back on her seat in annoyance. </p><p>“Since when were you all up in my shit?” the dark-haired girl responded sharply.</p><p>Levi stopped scrubbing the edges of the floor’s tiles to glare at his younger sister darkly. “Since your boyfriend decided to storm my break room just to ask why you aren’t responding to his googly eyes anymore.” </p><p>Armin looked at the two siblings nervously as he placed a hand on Mikasa’s arm to hold her back. “Hey guys, are you gonna have any specials for Christmas? I’m <em> reaaaaaally </em> craving for a peppermint mocha latte or something!” </p><p>“He’s not my boyfriend,” Mikasa said, completely ignoring Armin’s words. Levi raised an eyebrow in defiance. “He’s fam—” </p><p>The dark-haired girl cut herself off, shock registering in her eyes as she slumped back down on her seat. Tears started pooling at the edges of her eyes. Armin immediately started fussing over the girl before hugging her, bringing the dark-haired girl closer to him. Briefly, Levi wondered if he had said something wrong. </p><p>“You wouldn’t understand,” Mikasa spoke, before burying her face in Armin’s shoulder. The blonde placed his palm over her hair and patted her back sympathetically. </p><p>Levi left it at that and continued scrubbing. He was tempted to ask her what it was he <em> didn’t </em>understand. At this point, it seemed perfectly clear to him that Mikasa still cared for Eren, but something was clearly holding her back.</p><p>“Sorry Levi,” Armin said out of the blue. Levi grunted in response, giving the impression that he didn’t care. “You’ll understand one day.” </p><hr/><p>Erwin arrived early the next morning looking as pristine as ever. </p><p>Levi had been muddling through paperwork at one of the tables, grumbling to himself. While he was perfectly fine with making food and was fascinated with cleaning, cafe expenses made him so annoyed to the point of wanting coffee instead of his usual tea. He looked at the door as he heard the tiny bell make its sound, only to be met with the blonde lawyer who waved at him from afar. </p><p>Erwin came armed with nothing but his briefcase and suit, looking like the lawyer he was. Levi returned the greeting with a small nod. </p><p>“Good morning, Mr. Erwin!” Petra greeted cheerfully. She had immediately brightened up from behind the counter and was already headed towards the cash register.  “What can I get for you today? Can I interest you in our strawberry cake with a cup of earl grey on the side?” </p><p>Two years with Erwin in his vicinity had taught Levi to accept the man’s eccentric tendencies. The lawyer would constantly go out of his way to order a different item on the menu every time. While he <em> had </em>repeated an order once or twice (given that he came to shop every week for two years), Petra would always try to suggest new combinations and offer all of their newest arrivals to the man. </p><p>Erwin smiled gently in return, nodding his approval. Petra smiled in success, noting his order swiftly in the cash register. “That’ll be seven dollars!” the young girl announced cheerfully. </p><p>The blonde took out his wallet from his back pocket and placed a ten dollar bill on the counter. “Keep the change as always, Petra. Thank you for your service. You really do <em> dedicate your heart </em>to your job.” </p><p>He glanced at Levi as if to gauge a reaction from the man. Unfortunately, the dark-haired man completely ignored him, too caught up in his finances to even care about whatever hints Erwin dropped. </p><p>“Thank you Mr. Erwin,” Petra replied, her cheeks red at being acknowledged and praised. “I’ll have your order in a bit, feel free to sit anywhere!” she looked at Erwin conspiratorially, before lowering her voice to barely above a whisper. “Perhaps far from the boss. It’s <em> that </em>time of the year and he’s feeling rather dull.” </p><p>“Ah,” Erwin said in acknowledgement. Levi <em> had </em>always hated paperwork. </p><p>Heeding Petra’s advice, Erwin decided to take his work to a table near the door. He figured he could people-watch as he went over the cases for that day. After all, the weather was bright for an early fall morning. The rays of the sun filtered through the glass of the cafe. It was as spotless as ever—Levi’s cleaning never faltered, after all.  </p><p>Erwin passed the five minutes waiting for his order by glancing over his notes. Ironically, he had Nile as his current client. The policeman was filing for a divorce. Apparently, Nile’s wife wanted full custody of their young girl. On the other hand, Nile wanted at least partial custody just so he could get visitation rights from his child. With the couple being effective members of society (one was part of the police force and his wife a successful restaurant owner), the ruling heavily depended on the excellence of the defense. </p><p><em> Maria, </em>Erwin thought. It had been so long since he had seen her. Nile had been an infatuated husband in his previous life, but now, he so willingly let her go. </p><p>It seemed like there are no happy endings in this world as well. </p><p>Erwin put his papers down and looked outside the window as he sighed in exhaustion. When he glanced at Levi, who was buried in paperwork as well, his thoughts landed on the elusive, bespectacled scientist whose he had not encountered in his thirty years of existence in the world. </p><p><em> Such a shame. </em> How throwing away the possibility of a future with a lover seemed like the most logical solution for the sake of humanity. How having familial prospects was something that was not granted to the ones society deemed as the strongest. How the burden of responsibility fell on the shoulders of a select few who had willingly taken the heavy weight. </p><p>The lawyer could’ve listed more, but Petra had already arrived at his table with his order. She smiled at him automatically, placing his order far from his papers out of courtesy. She had always been a woman who read the atmosphere well. </p><p>“Thank you, Petra,” Erwin said shortly, returning the smile with one of his own. Petra nodded enthusiastically before leaving without a word.</p><p>Left in his thoughts once again, Erwin looked out of the window and watched the people passing by. Most of them were students from Trost University. Students came in groups or by themselves, left to their own devices. He sees a lot of familiar faces, some  soldiers who he had sent off to battle for the sake of humanity. </p><p>There was Marlow, the transferee he accepted from the Military Police. He was walking with a short woman who had curly, auburn hair. She intertwined her fingers with his as they walked animatedly. </p><p>There was Jean, who was heading swiftly in the direction of the cafe. Erwin chuckled. The poor man must’ve forgotten his responsibilities; Levi would definitely chew him out. </p><p>Erwin continued his routine, alternating between watching the people passing by, eating a piece of cake, sipping tea, and reading his notes. If he was honest, the case wasn’t really sinking in his mind, but the atmosphere itself was giving him the calm he needed to tackle his notes once he was finished with his food. </p><p>He was chewing on the strawberry cheesecake absently when he saw . . .<em> her.  </em></p><p>At least, he thought he did. Erwin squinted his eyes and blinked, trying to figure out if his mind was playing tricks on him. No, he was sure of it. Erwin hadn’t seen even a single strand of Hange’s hair his whole life, despite his desperate attempts to find her on social media. To come across her on a random day in Levi’s <em> restaurant </em>screamed irony in his face. </p><p>
  <em> The divine must be sadistic. </em>
</p><p>Erwin watched as <em>Hange</em> kicked her car door close, pushing up her glasses that had slipped to the tip of her nose. She was wearing a lab coat, so she must’ve been a scientist of some kind. <em> That’s definitely Hange, </em> he thought, as he observed. She shoved her hands into her pockets and began to walk towards the restaurant. </p><p>The little bell above the door gave a small sound as she entered, and Erwin forced himself to look back at his food so as to avoid her perceptive eyes. <em> Not like you needed to </em>, a small part in his brain argued. Hange, despite all her wits, wasn’t as excellent when it came to sensing other’s feelings for her. </p><p>Which was probably why she believed, in the entirety of her past life, that Levi only viewed her as a close friend. </p><p>Erwin stole a peek at the dark-haired man, whose head had perked up at the sound of the door opening. Levi was staring at Hange like he had seen a ghost, his financials left forgotten on the cafe’s table. The man had never been good with words, but his actions showed the effect Hange had on him still.</p><p>“Yes, Levi,” Erwin muttered in triumph. “You’ve met your match once again.”</p><p>The cafe owner was indeed dumbfounded as he watched <em> Hange </em> approach the counter. Her name came to mind so quickly that he shocked himself into a stupor. Levi blinked twice and shook his head as nonchalantly as he could. He looked at Petra, who was cheerfully greeting Hange with a smile on her face. </p><p>She returned. </p><p>That freak actually returned. </p><p>He maintained his silence, focusing his gaze on the calculator sitting on the table. <em> She better leave as soon as she makes her order </em> , Levi thought, unsure of what to make of the surge of emotions boiling inside him. <em> It’s happening again.  </em></p><p>His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he opened it immediately, determined to distract himself from the situation. The name <em> Erwin </em>flashed on the screen, and his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as he read the message. </p><p>He caught a glimpse of Erwin, who was sipping his drink calmly at his table. Levi glared at him sharply. The blonde soon caught his gaze and gave him a small, suggestive smile. </p><p> </p><p><b>Erwin</b> <b>Smith </b><em><br/></em><em>You’ll understand someday. </em></p><p>[<em> Received 1 minute ago. </em>]</p><p> </p><p>This is really starting to piss him off. </p><p>For a moment, Levi considered the possibility that Armin and Erwin had conspired against him in order to mess with his mind. The rational side of him argued that no, they can’t have. They (probably) don’t even know this person, let alone the avalanche of emotions she triggered by just existing. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Levi Ackerman </b>
</p><p>
  <em> Huh? </em>
</p><p>[<em> Sent 1 minute ago. </em>]</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, Levi didn’t get a response, so he chose to glare at Erwin threateningly, trying to get the man to cave.</p><p>He was ignored. </p><p>Levi's train of thought (which, if he was honest, was just filled with ways on how to get Erwin to just "give it up and tell me what the hell is going on") was interrupted by the sound of <em>her</em> voice. It was deep and strong, laced with happiness when she spoke. “Thank you, Petra! It was nice seeing you here as well, Jean.” </p><p>Levi’s head snapped in her direction so quickly that he wondered if he would’ve gotten whiplash at the action alone. The person—no, <em> Hange— </em>was waving at his employees with a bright smile on her face. Jean returned the smile politely while Petra was looking chipper as usual. </p><p>When Hange started to turn around to look for a seat, Levi immediately pried his eyes off of her and stared at his financials. There was silence, and Levi hoped that she wouldn’t notice him and be on her merry way. </p><p>The odds were stacked against him today, apparently. </p><p>Levi heard her push back the chair in front of him before taking a seat. He could almost hear the smile in her voice when she spoke. “Levi! It’s you! How’s your head?”</p><p>“Better,” he said without looking at her. He stared at his financials intently, trying to get the numbers to make sense in his head so that he wouldn’t have to deal with the annoying person in front of him. “I’m working,” he continued stoically, “so I’d rather you get your fatass and greasy hair somewhere else.”  </p><p>The insult came to his mouth rather smoothly, and he froze. He had just <em> insulted </em> a customer—something his mother had told him to <em> never </em> do and something he had worked so hard <em> not </em>to. Levi braced himself to apologize out of societal courtesy when she interrupted him with a laugh. </p><p><br/>“You <em> are </em> better!” Hange responded, sounding almost triumphant. “That’s good to hear. Thank you for your compliments on my ass.” She laughed heartily, and Levi’s felt his eye twitch in annoyance. “The second <em> insult </em>would’ve worked a few days ago, but I took a bath this morning.” </p><p>She maneuvered through his insults so smoothly, as if she had done it a million times prior. </p><p>Levi gave in to curiosity, and raised her head to look at her. She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him, as if to greet him ‘hello.’ Her hair was in a lazy ponytail, still a bit damp from her shower. Her glasses were foggy and  He could feel the unfamiliar emotions stirring in his chest again, and he shoved it down to the best of his abilities.</p><p>Levi sighed. “I really am working, <em> shitty-glasses. </em> So if you don’t mind,” he stopped mid-sentence, allowing his request for her to leave hanging in the air. </p><p>“Oh, sorry!” Hange responded, raising both hands in the air. “I’m a new professor at Trost University, and you look <em> really </em> familiar. I was wondering if you were my student or something.”</p><p>Levi’s eye twitched. “I’m twenty-nine,” he said in annoyance. </p><p>Hange wasn’t fazed. “Same as me! Some people go to school really late, you know. There’s no judgment here.”</p><p>Levi shook his head. “I own this cafe. Maybe you’ve met my younger sister.”</p><p>“That’s lovely, you have a sister! Tell me her name.” </p><p>“Mikasa Ackerman,” he said before checking the time. Speaking of the brat, she should’ve been in the cafe thirty minutes ago to assist Jean. “She goes to Trost.” </p><p>“I <em> have </em> met her! I guess that’s why she’s familiar, and <em> you’re </em> familiar.” Hange laughed. “You two do look alike.”</p><p>He didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult, because that <em>gloomy </em>brat was definitely nothing like him. Levi rolled his eyes as he tried to focus. The emotions in that had blossomed in his chest, which he had also felt when he first met her, spread to his stomach. The flurry gave no indication of dying down. In an attempt to calm his raging body, he tried once again to get her to leave.</p><p>Fortunately, he didn’t have to, because Erwin had decided to step in at just the right moment. He towered over a seated Hange, a gentle smile on his face. </p><p>“Miss Zoë?” Erwin asked, and Hange looked at him in confusion. </p><p>She smiled politely. “Yes?”</p><p>“I’m Erwin Smith. My father is a professor at Trost University. He’s mentioned you to me once.” </p><p>One of the things Erwin prided himself in was his gambles. Both in the other world and the current one, tempting fate was something he liked and did naturally. His father was in Australia and would probably have <em> no </em>idea who Hange Zoë was. In a sense, he was blatantly lying to her face. </p><p>“Ah yes, Mr. Smith!” Hange said in recognition. “Hmm, I don’t remember telling Mr. Smith my last name though,” she responded, eyes glinting suspiciously despite her warm smile. “You happen to know me, I guess, but how?”</p><p>Erwin paused for a moment and considered the situation. She hasn’t lost her touch, despite being in the other world without her memories.</p><p>“You go by a different last name, I presume?” Erwin asked. </p><p>Hange hummed before nodding, the smile still on her face. “But I’m not obligated to tell you that now, am I?” </p><p><em> Fuck. </em>She could be married. He shot a glance at Levi, who had taken to dismissing the both of them and continuing on his work. Erwin narrowed his eyes. He knew Levi was still listening.</p><p>Before he could think of an appropriate response to Hange, the girl laughed. “Erwin, you’re not the only person who’s approached me to call me by that name.” Her eyes were shining with mirth. “It appears that there are a few people in this world who seem to know me by my father’s last name, despite me not mentioning this fact to them upon introduction. I’ve taken to only using it in professional documents for this very reason. You seem like a well-educated man yourself. Tell me, you’re not with the FBI, are you?”</p><p>Erwin laughed jovially. She really <em> was </em>Hange. “No,” he answered, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and getting a business card. “I am, however, a lawyer.” </p><p>“Very interesting,” Hange said as she took the card and glanced at it shortly before shoving it in her breast pocket. “Nice to meet you, Erwin. You seem like a very odd man, I think we’ll get along.” </p><p>She held her hand out for him to shake. Erwin nodded in acknowledgement and accepted her hand. “Same to you.”</p><p>“Not to be a party-pooper,” Levi said, interrupting the conversation. “But could you all leave? I’m working here.” </p><p>“I’m Hange Zoë,” the professor retorted, unfazed. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Levi.” She didn’t hold her hand out to him, Erwin noted. </p><p>“Perhaps we go out drinking sometime,” Hange said, smiling warmly at the two men. “I’m sure we’ll all be good friends.” </p><p>Erwin felt his heart leap as Levi looked away. “Yes,” the blonde nodded. “I think so as well.” </p><hr/><p>And that was how an annoyed Levi found himself dragged to a karaoke bar with a giddy professor and a stone-faced lawyer. </p><p>It all sounded like the beginning of a bad joke. <em> Not really, </em> Mikasa had said. <em> You’re already a big joke. </em> Levi couldn’t say that he didn’t agree. He kind of did. </p><p>Mikasa had started talking to him again after a week of pretending as if he didn’t exist when she asked him to pass the salt. That night, she volunteered to wash the dishes and he patted her head, ruffling her dark hair as a sign that she was forgiven. As an emotionally constipated Ackerman as well, Mikasa got the message. </p><p>The young girl stated that Hange was one of the most eccentric people she’s ever encountered, and not in a bad way. Mikasa liked her enough to approach her after class and ask questions, something that she rarely did (mostly out of pride, Levi assumed). Hange was welcoming and eager to answer whatever came to mind. She and Armin got along really well, and the young boy was immediately signed up to be a research assistant under her department. </p><p>That night, Levi found out several things. While he didn’t drink at all, Hange really liked beer, but would gag at the taste of vodka.  The karaoke booth, which had disco lights, had to be turned off because Hange said the glare of the moving lights messed with her glasses. Erwin, preferred fine wine (rich, privileged, ass that he was). Hange sucked at singing, but would try her hardest anyway. Erwin loved slow songs that sounded like they were released at least fifty years ago. </p><p>He also discovered that his default response to Hange’s smile was looking in the opposite direction. </p><p>“Ah!” Hange sighed happily as she leaned back on her chair. “That was fun, wasn’t it?”</p><p>Erwin nodded before glancing at his phone. It was nearing 11 in the evening. “It’s getting a bit late, would you guys like to call it a night?”</p><p>“Eh?” Hange said, shooting up in surprise. “But we just <em> started, </em>Erwin! Don’t be such a spoilsport.” </p><p>The blonde chuckled. “Sorry, Hange. I’m going to get called in early tomorrow, so I can’t afford a late night. Perhaps Levi could stay with you.” </p><p>Levi raised an eyebrow as Hange looked at him expectantly, her eyes practically shining in plea. “Leviiii,” she drawled, raising the karaoke book in her hand. “Will you stay? You haven’t even sung a single song!”</p><p>He wasn’t particularly pressed to go to work early, considering that it was a Saturday night. Levi didn’t really have anything special to do. The man looked at Hange’s excited expression, and Erwin’s stoic one. </p><p>It was odd enough for the blonde to insist that tonight they should let loose and have fun, only to decide to leave early. Levi thought this was particularly suspicious. His mind flew to the ambiguous text Erwin had sent prior. </p><p>
  <em> You’ll understand someday.  </em>
</p><p>It sounded like a challenge, and Levi wasn’t sure if he was ready to face it. </p><p>“Come on Levi, is it a yes or a no?” Hange prodded teasingly, poking his shoulder. “Well?”</p><p>The flurry of emotions was still there whenever he looked at Hange. He had been able to identify some of the emotions in one of his brushes of insomnia, when his fleeting thoughts were riddled with the brown-haired girl. <em> Guilt, sadness, anger, compassion. </em>And something else he could not seem to place.</p><p>The overwhelming feeling of emptiness was starting to disappear.</p><p>
  <em> Sorry Levi. You’ll understand one day.  </em>
</p><p>“Okay,” he answered shortly. </p><p>The way Hange’s face lit up at his response could brighten up an atmosphere filled with angst. Levi allowed himself a small smile. </p><p>
  <em> Maybe he didn’t regret this after all.  </em>
</p><p>Erwin smiled, mentally patting himself on the back for a job well done. Long ago, the commander would’ve prioritized his work for reasons that didn’t involve matchmaking. In this world, he was free to do as he pleased in support of his friends. </p><p>The blonde left as soon as Levi had said yes, bidding Hange and Levi quick goodbyes. Soon, the two were left two to their own devices.</p><p>Hange immediately shoved Levi the songbook, placing it on his lap and grinning maniacally. “Choose, Levi!” </p><p>Levi looked at her lazily, flicking the songbook back to her. “I don’t sing, shitty-glasses.” </p><p>“I’ll sing with you if you want,” Hange offered, smiling. “Do you know this song by the band <em> No Name? </em>I feel like it’d go really well with your voice.” </p><p>
  <em> Okay, so maybe he had a few regrets. </em>
</p><p>Turns out, Hange is apparently much better at playing the electric guitar than at singing. </p><p>After a few failed attempts and only <em> one </em>successful attempt to get Levi to sing, Hange gave up and decided that the night was to be spent in friendly chatter rather than through music. Levi preferred it that way, especially since she did enough talking to carry a conversation by herself.</p><p>He learned that she didn’t really have many friends in the university, except for her assistant Moblit and a fellow professor named Nanaba. She liked researching about plants and animals, and had at one point wanted to be a veterinarian. He found out that she didn’t push through with the dream despite having the intellect because her conscience couldn’t take putting a sweet animal to sleep. </p><p>Everything about Hange was so familiar and distant at the same time. </p><p>She asked him about his family life, how Mikasa is when she’s at home. She offered insight with regards to Eren and Mikasa’s situation, saying that she had seen Mikasa ignoring Eren outright in class. Hange said they’ll probably grow out of it and that it was <em> just a phase </em>in their friendship. </p><p>Soon enough, Hange is blubbering and spouting random facts about the Earth and <em> why </em>giant cannibals are going to be the cause of the end of the world. Levi deduced that she was probably already drunk, given the amount of beer she had drunk that night. He would have to drive the girl home. Offhandedly, he wondered if Hange would be sober enough to tell him her address. </p><p>Hange is outspoken and headstrong, and Levi found himself relaxing in her presence in the short amount of time they had spent just <em> talking. </em> He had only just met this girl and he already felt comfortable around her, which was odd because this does <em> not </em>happen to him, he’s not supposed to be like this, he’s used to being guarded and defensive and—</p><p>“Hey, Levi,” Hange said, breaking the silence and interrupting his inner turmoil. Her eyes were slowly starting to close and she blinked back sleepiness caused by the beer. Levi grunted in response. “I can’t explain why you seem so familiar. It’s like I’ve known you forever even though we just met a week ago.” </p><p>He doesn’t speak, because how was he supposed to reply to a statement that basically summarized everything he felt ever since he met her? </p><p>“I know you’re a good person, Levi,” Hange continued. Her head was propped up on the dark couch, supported by a small pillow provided by the karaoke booth. “I know you care for your friends and your family, despite the fact that you don’t say it. I know you value people’s lives even though you feel like no one ever valued yours.” </p><p>Levi found no words as he watched her. Her eyes were glazed as she looked at him, her lips curled up in a smile. “For someone so scary, you’re always the voice of compassion.” She placed a gentle hand on his head. “You balance me out, captain.”</p><p>And with those words said, her arm fell back and her eyes closed, taking Hange to a dreamless sleep. </p><hr/><p>Levi had contemplated just throwing her over his shoulder because it was easier, but feared persecution from the lady in the reception area. </p><p>He carried her bridal style into his car. </p><p>Hange asleep was very different from when she was awake. She made no sound (didn’t snore whatsoever), and her face looked peaceful and calm. Levi placed her at the back seat, wondering how he could ensure that her body won’t fall when he hit the brakes. </p><p>There were two ways he could approach this situation. One, he could force her to wake up and tell him where she lived. Two, he could bring her to his house and just let her sleep in his room while he stayed on the couch. </p><p>Levi tried the first solution by gently tapping Hange on the shoulder. No response. He poked her cheek. Twice. Thrice. Once again, there is no response. </p><p>He decided to shake her. Hange made no sound to signify waking. At this point, she was basically dead to the world in her sleep. Just to make sure, Levi checked if she was still alive by taking her pulse. </p><p>It looks like he’s left with Option 2. </p><p>At that point, he decided that he wouldn’t get anywhere standing around in a parking lot (aside from looking extra suspicious) with a sleeping girl in his back seat. Levi sighed, fixing Hange’s position in the car by putting her on her side (just in case she vomited), her face against the car seat. </p><p>
  <em> As usual, you’re still troublesome, shitty-glasses.  </em>
</p><p>Levi halted his train of thought. This has never happened at all before, and yet  . . . <em> why?  </em></p><p>His mind went back to what Hange had said prior to her falling asleep. Everything was so right, fit him so perfectly. Part of him wanted to ask how dare she assume that she knew him when they’ve only just met, but it was all so . . . </p><p>‘<em> Familiar. It’s like I’ve known you forever even though we just met a week ago.’ </em></p><p>Levi shook his head and closed the car door behind him, settling in the driver’s seat. </p><p>He needed a strong cup of tea after this. </p><p>He drove as gently as he could, occasionally checking his mirror to make sure that Hange was okay. She would make small noises once in a while, which assured him that she was still alive and breathing. </p><p>The entire ride home was short and silent, but a thousand thoughts were racing in Levi’s head. </p><p>
  <em> You’ll understand someday, Levi.  </em>
</p><p>Mikasa didn’t look angry when she opened the door for him. Instead, her eyes shined in curiosity, as though she was more interested about the situation than what she let on. </p><p>“So . . . why is Professor Hange here again?” the dark-haired girl asked as Levi walked inside, Hange slung over his shoulder.</p><p>Mikasa followed them to Levi’s room where she opened the door for him a second time. When Levi made no indication of answering her, she coughed. “I think I asked you a question, Levi.” </p><p>“Shitty-glasses got drunk,” Levi said, placing Hange on his bed. “Too much to drink. Obvious, isn't it?” </p><p>“Do you want me to change her?” Mikasa asked, ignoring the jab from her older brother. Levi shook his head. </p><p>“No, even though you’re a girl, we don’t know if she’d agree to someone stripping her while she’s vulnerable,” Levi replied, surprised that his cousin had offered nicely in the first place. “Just leave her. I’m changing the covers tomorrow, anyway.”</p><p>Mikasa looked away, avoiding his gaze. Levi continued, already knowing the reason why. “You haven't changed your covers in a month, have you?” </p><p>“They’re clean,” Mikasa retorted defensively. “I only ever use home clothes whenever I sleep on my bed. It’s not like I drag my boots on it or anything.” </p><p>Levi sighed. “It doesn’t work that way, <em> brat </em>. At least change them twice a month. It’ll help keep your bed fresh and tidy.” </p><p>“Okay, <em> mom.” </em>The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Next time, don’t arrive at two in the morning with your girlfriend.” </p><p>“Mind your own business,” Levi said, gently pushing the girl out of the room. </p><p>Mikasa maintained her deadpan expression as she walked out the door, but her eyes gleamed mischievously as she poked fun at Levi. “Ah, so she <em> is </em>your girlfriend? Is that even allowed since I’m her student? She could fail me if you two broke up.” </p><p>The dark-haired girl knew just which buttons to push when it came to her brother. Aside from being her former captain, Levi had been her older brother figure for a majority of her life. She knew how Levi felt when it came to the former commander, how he would’ve given anything for her but was forced to give it all up for the sake of humanity. </p><p>Here was another chance for him to show Hange how much he loved her, and yet . . . </p><p>“Shut your mouth, Mikasa.” Levi closed his door and sat on the couch, shrugging off the jacket he was wearing. He folded it before placing it neatly on the coffee table, leaning his head back on the sofa’s armrest. </p><p>. . . he doesn’t remember anything. </p><hr/><p>
  <em> He’s in a river.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> His body is numb to pain but the water feels cold. There is someone holding him close, occasionally bringing his nose high in the air so that he could breathe. The journey is difficult and laborious, but they manage.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He is pulled gently on the shore.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You better not die on me,” he hears a faint voice say. His body felt hot to the core, and there’s a searing pain on the side of his face. He does not dare open his eyes. “Please, don’t die on me.”  </em>
</p><p><em> The voice repeats the mantra, over and over again as he feels the pain slowly dissipate.  </em> <em> He falls to sleep.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>When he wakes, he hears that voice again.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What if we run away?” the voice asks, desperation laced in their tone.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Run away? He contemplates on this thought, allowing it to marinate in his mind. Run away with who? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What if we stay in the forest and live here forever, Levi?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> His face feels warm. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Suddenly he is pulled into nothing, and he wakes in a body battered, beaten, and broken—but his own. His good hand was curled into a fist against green cloth.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Dedicate your heart,” he hears himself say.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> There is silence, and he walks away. From the distance, he hears the voice.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “This is the first time I’ve ever heard you say that, Levi!” they say cheerfully. With those words said, the voice was gone.  </em>
</p><hr/><p>“Levi!” </p><p>He awoke with a start, his forehead lined with sweat and tears in his eyes. He’s out of breath and his heart is pounding rapidly in his chest, and his palms feel cold. There is a hand pressed against his cheek, and he leans into it, savoring the warmth it gave him. </p><p>“Hey, you were having a nightmare.” </p><p>Levi blinked tears out of his eyes as he looked at the figure beside him. Hange smiled at him gently before running her fingers through his hair soothingly. “It’s okay though, you’re awake now.”</p><p>It took him a moment to realize that Hange was in his house and that he was <em> not </em>sleeping in his room. Memories of the night prior flashed in his mind, and he sat up, allowing the brown-haired woman to take a seat beside him on the couch.</p><p>“You wanna talk about it?” Hange asked, gently patting his back. “I’ll listen.” </p><p>He decided to take her up on the offer, but couldn’t find the words. It was only then that he realized: the voice that had been talking to him was Hange. Hange asked him to live in the woods with her. Hange saved him. </p><p> </p><p>But Hange— Hange is— Hange was going to—</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No.  </em>
</p><p>Levi turned his head to look at Hange, who was patiently waiting for him to begin talking whenever he was ready. She smiled at him softly, tilting her head to the side in understanding. </p><p>“Hange,” he said, her name spilling out of his mouth. “Hange,” he repeated as he placed a hand over hers. Said person looked at him, confused but comforting nonetheless. </p><p>“Yes?” She whispered, uncertain. </p><p>Levi placed her hand on his cheek and brought her warm body closer to his, wrapping his arms around her neck and holding her tight. </p><p>
  <em> You’ll understand someday, Levi.  </em>
</p><p>“You’re alive,” he whispered into her hair as he finally allowed his tears to flow free. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading! this is my first time wandering into SnK fanfiction territory and i received such a warm welcome from all of you &lt;3 i love levi and hange so much as characters, as well as Mikasa and Armin. I love their dynamic and honestly I wish we got to see more of them. cheers to us trash!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. victory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>He holds her close to him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS for Chapter 105 !!!! You have been warned !!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> “See you later, Hange.” </em>
</p><p>Levi could feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest as he held her. </p><p>
  <em> Alive.  </em>
</p><p>If this was <em> later </em>, he didn’t mind waiting. </p><p>Hange’s back hit the couch’s armchair when she received Levi’s weight, her eyes wide as she felt the man wrap his arms around her shoulders. Levi knew she had been taken aback by his sudden movements, but Hange was quick to respond as she shifted the position of her palm from his cheek to return his hug, leaning her chin on his shoulder. </p><p>Levi hadn’t cried in a long time. Ever since he reached the age of eleven, he felt as if he had complete control over his emotions. He didn’t cry when his mother was suddenly rushed to the hospital due to a heart attack. He didn’t shed a single tear when his aunt, Mikasa’s mother, died, even though she had been a constant presence in his life. </p><p>But here, in the presence of <em> Hange— </em>who he had not seen since the day she sacrificed herself for their safety—he felt as though every wall he’s ever built, every ounce of self-control he had, dissipated into nothingness, and he was a dam ready to burst.</p><p>Hange was warm and smelled like his covers, but none of those were the reasons why he thought Hange felt like <em> home </em>. </p><p>She could lighten the room with a single smile, allowing even the most closed-off individuals to receive her care. She had been both a mother and a leader to the 104th, and he could still remember the way they shouted her name as she descended into her own death, her head held up high. </p><p>Amidst all loneliness and uncertainty, in a world without 13th Corps Commander Erwin Smith, Hange Zoë had been the constant in his life. She was more than just his superior. Hange was a confidant, a best friend, a counselor. She could read him like an open book. If he were honest, Levi could go on and on because his presence in her life necessitated utmost patience that she was willing to provide.  </p><p>But Hange chose to die. She chose to leave him behind for the sake of <em>humanity.</em></p><p>In a way, Levi thought that he was cursed. It was as if every single person he came to love were sentenced with a death flag over their heads, guaranteed to leave him. Levi should’ve known that like everyone else in his life, Hange would die. He’d known this since the moment he made the mistake of falling in love with her.</p><p>“You’re alive,” he repeated into her ears, his voice barely above a whisper. </p><p>He knew this because he could feel Hange’s breath against the nape of his neck, her lips pressed against his shoulder. He could sense her warmth spreading across his body as she enveloped him in a hug. </p><p>She chuckled, the sound vibrating in her throat. “Don’t worry Levi, I’m not going to let alcohol be the cause of my death.” </p><p>
  <em> Ah. He’d almost forgotten.  </em>
</p><p>Hange doesn’t remember anything. </p><hr/><p>“Good to have you back, captain.” </p><p>Levi glared at Mikasa’s deadpan statement, and she shrugged nonchalantly, effectively brushing him off. The young girl was dressed in a hoodie much too large for her frame (Levi suspected it belonged to Eren, given the length of the thing), sitting cross-legged beside the coffee table. Her freshly-washed scarf was lazily wrapped around her neck as usual. In her hands was a thick book with several pictures of plants. </p><p>“How do you know?” Levi asked her sharply, raising an eyebrow. </p><p>The expression on Mikasa’s face—or lack thereof—didn’t change. “I could see it in your eyes. And by the way you hugged Hange.”</p><p>He instantly felt warmth growing on the back of his neck. “You sneaky, snooping little <em> brat </em>. Not a word to anyone,” Levi hissed. He placed his car keys on the top of the dinner table before sitting down on the couch beside the young girl. </p><p>Mikasa saluted him mockingly, but she couldn’t help the sly smile that was emerging on the edges of her lips. “Sure, <em> captain.” </em>Levi waved her off, rolling his eyes. “How’d the trip go?”</p><p>Levi had taken it upon himself to ensure that Hange would arrive home safely. He had attempted to tell her about what had happened, ask her if she remembered anything, but words couldn’t escape his mouth no matter how hard he tried. In the end, he accepted that Hange didn’t have a single clue on the effect she had on him. And there was something preventing him from mentioning his memories to her. </p><p>He knew that she was also polite enough not to mention his moment of weakness to anyone else, so at least he had that going for him. </p><p>“Uneventful,” Levi said shortly, tossing his head back on the couch to stare at the ceiling. The dorm she was residing in was dilapidated and desolate. Hange had fallen asleep for a second time in his car, but had waved at him maniacally at him when he was about to leave. It was endearing, to say the least. She still had the energy and spunk that she possessed back when she had been a young officer. </p><p>“You can’t tell them that you remember anything, huh.” Levi muttered off-handedly, phrasing it more as a statement than as a question. </p><p>He remembered wanting to ask her why she had the <em> audacity </em> to leave him. He tried to will himself to talk about the night she had saved his life in the middle of the woods. He aimed to understand why she had made the proposal to run away with him, and if she would’ve gone through with it if the world wasn’t in such . . . danger. </p><p>Mikasa hummed in response, closing her book. “It’s like no matter how coherent your thoughts are, the words won’t form in your mouth.” Levi grunted in annoyance, and Mikasa chuckled. “How much do you remember, anyway?”</p><p>“A lot,” Levi answered, and he is once again reminded of the murky smell of a river and a voice determined to save his life. “But not everything. I can’t remember how I died—if I died, which is very likely—and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”</p><p>“That’s okay, I don’t remember either,” Mikasa said. “Commander Erwin remembers his death though.” </p><p>Levi shot up. <em> Erwin. </em> For two years, that stupid, <em> stupid </em> blonde had been dropping hints that could possibly trigger his memory. He finally understood where all the dumb, random “dEdIcAtE yOuR hEaRt”s stemmed from. </p><p>He pulled out his phone. Erwin’s last message was from when they had first encountered Hange, staring at him mockingly. <em> You’ll understand someday, </em>he had said. Levi sighed. </p><p>“I take it Armin also knows?” he told Mikasa, and she nodded at him. “Who else knows?” </p><p><br/>“Just us.” </p><p>“Eren doesn’t remember?” </p><p>“Eren doesn’t remember.”</p><p>“Should I give him a beating like old times?” </p><p>Levi flashed Mikasa a smirk as she glared at him menacingly. He had already anticipated the reaction. “You <em> still </em> like him.”</p><p>“This Eren’s different” was Mikasa’s clipped response. She pushed her scarf higher over her nose, a habit Levi realized had become more prominent lately. </p><p>He scoffed. “Yeah, but you still ignored him.”</p><p>“His past sins were a lot to handle,” Mikasa admitted, sighing sadly. “But I know this Eren is his own person now. He’s a lot more free. He doesn’t have anger inside of him. He’s finally at peace.” She chuckled, but her eyes were dead. “Sometimes, it’s as if our roles were reversed.” </p><p>Levi looked back on the additional memories that had piled on top of his recent ones. Mikasa had always been the one chasing after Eren, making sure he was okay. She cared for him a lot and treated him like family. Now, it was Eren who was constantly going out of his way for her. He would scold her for walking home alone in the dark when he knew that the girl was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Eren would take the liberty of walking all the way to her house before going home, something Carla Jaeger was immensely proud of. </p><p>“I want to give him another chance,” Mikasa said, breaking the silence. “I hope he never gets his memories back.” </p><p>“For his sake, I hope so too.”</p><hr/><p>A warm feeling in Levi’s chest bloomed as he saw his special operations squad file in and out throughout the day. They were wearing the standard apron over their own uniforms, which consisted of a simple tan shirt with black pants, a practical design he had allowed Marco Bolt to choose. His former squad members were attentively doing their tasks, and Levi watched as they applied the same precise movements to their modern day duties in a manner that resembled their own valiance back in the battle field. </p><p>Levi now understood why it had been incredibly easy for him to hire them on the spot. </p><p>There are a lot of things in his past life that Levi wanted to change. He regretted being weak as he watched his mother succumb to illness. He hated himself for not being strong enough to protect Isabel and Farlan. </p><p>Briefly, he wondered if the two had been reincarnated in the modern world. </p><p>Levi couldn’t remember if he had done them justice, but the image of a mountain range of bodies haunted him in his sleep, a reminder of the amount of lives lost in the name of humanity. He despised the fact that all he could do was sit idly by as his comrades disappeared one by one, leaving him to convince himself that <em> no, </em> their deaths were <em> not </em>in vain, but it became increasingly hard as the years went on and their enemy shifted from mindless cannibals to hateful humans. </p><p>“You get used to it,” Erwin had said hauntingly, and Levi shuddered at the thought. “You live with what you’ve done.”</p><p>Erwin clapped Levi on the back harshly when he found out that the latter had finally, after two pain-staking years, acquired his memories. Levi maintained his deadpan gaze, but was mostly relieved because having Erwin by his side meant that he wouldn’t have to carry the burden of knowledge alone.</p><p>“You can finally stop repeating ‘<em> dedicate your heart’ </em>every time you come here,” Levi said pointedly, glaring at the blonde. Erwin chuckled, unfazed. </p><p>“Well, it worked, didn’t it?”</p><p>“No, Erwin,” Levi replied blankly. “It didn’t.” He resumed sipping his tea placidly, his fingertips carrying the cup through its rim. “How long have you had yours?”</p><p>“Ever since I was a young boy,” Erwin admitted, running a hand through his blonde hair. “Arlert’s had his since he was fifteen.”</p><p>“Wonder why,” Levi commented. The older blonde hummed.  </p><p>From the distance, Erwin and Levi watched Eren and Armin talking animatedly with each other as Mikasa looked on, reserved as usual. The dark-haired boy would drag her into the conversation once in a while as she had finally resumed talking to him again. Levi watched as Eren stood up to request for a water refill for all of them, a task that he had once vehemently shoved towards Armin out of laziness. </p><p>“A lot of things are different here,” Levi said offhandedly. “Mikasa isn’t simping over Eren, for one.”</p><p>“I didn’t think an old man like you would be familiar with such . . . <em> updated </em>terminology,” Erwin teased, shaking his head. “I suppose Armin’s been of help?” </p><p>Levi gave a noncommittal shrug before sipping his tea. “Languages are different here as well, you <em> boomer. </em>”</p><p>“Perhaps it was Mikasa who taught you after all,” Erwin said, laughing. “There’s a lot more languages here,” he continued, before his lips shifted to a wry smirk. “However, no words in all the languages in the world would be enough for you to say how infatuated you are with Hange.” </p><p>The dark-haired man instantly flashed him a glare, but Erwin could see the way his fingers clenched around the rim of his cup. “You know,” the former commander started, ready to provide his own brand of unsolicited advice. “I think it’s important to allow yourself more freedom, especially in a world where it’s taken for granted.” </p><p>“And <em> you </em> should mind your own business,” Levi retorted, shaking his head. </p><p>“I would love to, if my friends could handle their business on their own,” Erwin shot back easily. “Look, Levi. I’ve known you since my past life, and I could see how much you loved her even without you telling me.” </p><p>Levi didn’t respond. Silence fell upon the two of them, and Eren’s cheerful (exaggerated) laughter at Mikasa saying a boring joke echoed in the background. Erwin allowed Levi to contemplate on his own, considering the fact that he may have gone too far in probing the dark-haired man. </p><p>He didn’t have to worry at all, as Levi broke the silence with a voice void of any emotion in its tone. “Hange doesn’t remember anything.”</p><p>“I don’t remember what exactly?” </p><p>The two men visibly flinched at the sound of her voice, and Hange looked at both Erwin and Levi with a confused expression on her face. “Did I do something while I was passed out drunk? I didn’t hurt you, did I, Levi?”</p><p>Erwin willed himself not to laugh at the sheer irony of the situation. </p><p>“No,” Levi said shortly. The dark-haired man looked calm on the outside, but he wanted nothing more than to be eaten alive at that particular point in time. “You didn’t.”</p><p>Internally, Levi wondered how she had managed to sneak up on both him and Erwin. His senses weren’t as heightened as they were back in his past life, but he could’ve at least noticed that she was in the cafe. Had he been so immersed in the conversation that he didn’t even see that the devil he was speaking of was already in his vicinity?</p><p>Hange sighed in relief, before hanging her bag on one of the chair’s armrests and taking a seat beside Erwin. “That’s good. I thought I did something embarrassing. So,” Hange leaned her elbows on the table, placing her chin on the palm of her left hand, “what do I <em> not </em>remember then?”</p><p>Levi glanced at Erwin, who coughed and looked away, detaching himself from the situation. Instantly, Levi knew that he was on his own. </p><p><br/>“Taking a bath,” Levi said, as decisively as he could. Unfortunately, one look at Hange and he knew he wasn’t fooling anyone. </p><p>“You two are being very odd,” Hange declared, laughing at the duo. “But as usual, boring answers from equally <em> boring </em>men. I’ll find out someday.” She gave Levi a wink, and he looked away, shrugging off the weird sense of deja vu. </p><p>“What are you doing here, Hange?” Erwin said politely, trying to divert the conversation in an attempt to save Levi from the slightly awkward situation. “Shouldn’t you be in university at this time?”</p><p>“Some of the students in my current class looked tired so I decided to cut the period short and go here for coffee,” Hange explained. “As much as I love teaching, I understand that there are just some days where you gotta let the kids go and do their own thing.” She gave a sly grin, her glasses glinting as she clapped her hands together. “No matter, in the next class, I will be making the lesson more fun so that they’re enticed to go!”</p><p>Levi listened to her talk animatedly with Erwin, noting the familiar quirks in the way she talked, the jovial tone of her voice, and her incessant passion for doing what she loved. Being the commander of the Survey Corps had taught Hange that brute-forcing her way to get people to listen to her wasn’t always going to work out, especially if said people didn’t care about titans. </p><p>It seemed as if the current Hange was well-aware of this, as she had just willingly allowed her students the opportunity to rest and relax amidst their finals season. Levi watched as Erwin nodded in approval, occasionally smiling politely whenever necessary.</p><p>“Hey, Levi!” Hange called happily, and Levi grunted in response. “What do you have planned on Christmas?” </p><p>“Stuff,” Levi replied, which was sort of an honest answer. Traditionally, the cafe would be open on Christmas day, with Mikasa helping out. After that, the two siblings would go home to his mother and eat Christmas cake and other delicacies that Levi would prepare the day before. Sometimes, Eren would drop by with his mother and father in tow, tanned cheeks lightly dashed with red from the cold, all of them armed with mashed potatoes and warm gravy. </p><p>His mother would invite them readily, and Eren and Mikasa would huddle together in front of the fireplace, video-calling Armin and talking as if they hadn’t seen each other a few days prior. Levi would be sitting with his traditional cup of tea on the couch beside them, rewatching whatever Netflix series he could find. The adults would be talking amongst themselves, with Carla Jaeger’s laughter filling the background. </p><p>“Maybe you’d like to spend Christmas with me, Hange,” Erwin said, chuckling. “You mentioned that your roommate wouldn’t be with you. My father is out of town, so maybe we can spend it together.” Erwin turned to him, and Levi could see the blond’s eyes glinting mischievously. “Levi, you want to come?” </p><p>Levi remembered his mother urging him to spend Christmas with a girlfriend or at least his workmates just the week prior. <em> It would be good for you, </em>she had said, patting his head as if he were a young child. She had been badgering him for some grandkids, and although Levi would’ve loved to indulge her, the feat was impossible given that he didn’t even have any romantic prospects of any kind.</p><p>Given his impolite attitude and below-average height, Levi had doubts as to whether or not someone would understand his quirks and intricacies. Unless . . .</p><p>Hange’s expectant gaze met his own when he raised his head, contemplating Erwin’s question. In a time before he was considered to be humanity’s strongest, before people sung praises to his heroics, before his fellow scouts even trusted him—Hange chose to befriend him. One of the first to accept him. </p><p>“Come on Levi,” Hange urged. “Unless, of course, you have plans with your family. Then we completely understand, bec—” </p><p>“Sure,” he interrupted her blabbering, placing his teacup on the saucer laid out in front of him. He <em> did </em>have family stuff, but he was sure his mother would be delighted if she found out that he chose to be more sociable during that time of the year. </p><p>Hange’s lips broke into a smile. </p><p>Slowly, the empty part of him was starting to feel less like a void. </p><hr/><p>“Why can’t you just invite Hange and Commander Erwin to our place?” Mikasa chided, crossing her arms. From the back seat, Armin chuckled, choosing to ignore Mikasa’s error. “It’d be a good way to introduce her to Aunt Kuchel.” </p><p>It was either Mikasa was a really good eavesdropper or Hange had gone and informed the trio of their Christmas plans. Levi suspected that the latter was more likely, considering that Hange had walked back to university with Armin and Mikasa. </p><p>He had picked up Armin and Mikasa from the university to give Armin a ride home, as per Mikasa’s request. As a result, Levi chose to leave the cafe a little earlier, entrusting Jean with managerial duties. The tall boy had gladly accepted, with Connie and Sasha—both of whom were <em> not </em>employees, but were the shop’s most loyal customers, given that they came there nearly everyday—cheering him on from the background. </p><p>“You know he isn’t your commander anymore, right?” Levi replied snarkily, and Mikasa rolled her eyes. She adjusted her seatbelt and glared at the traffic in front of them, her cheeks tinted a light shade of red at her minute error. “And besides,” the dark-haired man continued, “Stop giving my mother false hope. Also, inviting more people means that I have to make more food.” </p><p>“That’s <em> your </em>problem.”</p><p>“And <em> you’re </em> the one who’s going to be helping out in the kitchen.” </p><p>Armin laughed politely before inserting himself in the conversation. “I think that’s a good idea, though, Mikasa,” he told younger Ackerman. Levi glanced at him from the rearview mirror, meeting the blonde’s gaze. Before he could respond, however, Mikasa smoothly interrupted him. </p><p>“You should spend Christmas at our house also, since your grandfather is out of town.”</p><p>“How about we invite the entire corps instead,” Levi said sarcastically as he stepped on the gas gently, the vehicle moving forward by a tiny bit. “That’ll be neat.”</p><p>“That’s a great idea!” Armin responded excitedly, his blue eyes immediately sparkling in delight. “I can even make the invitations, and Mikasa can help make the guest list! And of course, Eren will help out. We can all just chip in and order food so that you won’t have to cook, Levi. You don’t even have to worry about anything, just be there! Oh this is going to be so much fun—”</p><p>As the conversation continued, Levi realized that there was going to be no way to convince  the blond <em> no </em>without risking disappointment. Mikasa flashed him a triumphant smirk but he chose to keep his eyes on the road, contemplating the number of people who would be in his house. He wondered if Hange would agree to the change of plans, given that she was new in town and didn’t really know a lot of the previous survey corps members. Except Moblit and Nanaba, apparently. </p><p>Nevertheless, Hange wasn’t the type of person who was content with just sitting still and allowing others to control the conversation. Levi began to remember the moments wherein her intense laughter contrasted his monotonous remarks; the way she willingly urged him into conversation when he had been to reluctant to get participate; her comforting smile on days wherein he felt as if the weight of lives was on his shoulders, carrying the burden of defeat and grief to the point that he couldn’t move his own body anymore. </p><p>His train of thought is interrupted by his own doing, as the car stopped when he hit the brakes as if he was on autopilot. Armin’s house was large and inviting already, decorated with Christmas ornaments he was sure the blond had chosen himself. The young boy thanked Levi profusely for going out of his way to give him a ride.</p><p>Levi nodded, not really seeing why it was such a big deal. It was just a quick detour and it wasn’t like he was doing anything special anyway. </p><p>“You’ll consider it, right Levi?” Armin said after he had gotten out of the car, peering into Mikasa’s open window. “I’d really like to spend Christmas with our old friends. It would mean a lot to me . . .” the boy looked away, lowering his voice to barely above a whisper. “And perhaps Hange also . . . you know, even though she doesn’t remember anything. She’ll like anything you give her, captain, so please do consider it!” </p><p>Mikasa looked at Levi pointedly, as if daring him to reject the boy’s offer.</p><p>If he were honest, Levi wasn’t entirely against it. His face would’ve said otherwise, however, which made Armin a lot more nervous than he needed to be.  </p><p>“Okay,” Levi replied, and Mikasa gave Armin a small smile. The boy’s face instantly lit up, and Levi continued. “Don’t order. We’ll cook.” Mikasa whipped her head so fast at him, her eyes already set in a glare, but Levi paid her no attention. “<em> Mikasa </em> and I will cook,” he clarified, as if his point wasn’t made already.</p><p>Armin gave Mikasa a comforting pat on the back as Levi smirked triumphantly at the girl in retaliation for her jab at him prior. Soon, Mikasa waved goodbye to Armin and closed her window, muttering under her breath about how unfair it was that she was stuck with an <em> annoying midget </em>for a cousin. </p><p>“I’m going to get Historia to punch you again,” the dark-haired girl said darkly. </p><p>“She can punch me as many times as she wants, you’re still going to help cook the food, you lazy brat.”</p><p>“I’ll tell Hange that you’re bullying me.”</p><p>“Aren’t you a little snitch?”</p><p>The ride was quiet after that. Autumn had tinted the city a nice shade of orange, and the occasional fallen leaves would brush past the car as they drove back to their home. The journey was smooth, as the flow was against the rush hour traffic. </p><p>“She was like a mother to you, wasn't she," Levi said, phrasing his thoughts as a statement more than a question. </p><p>Mikasa nodded, relaxing in her seat. “She was." The dark-haired girl closed her eyes, her mind fleeting off to remnants of the other world, crammed into the recesses of her mind. "Hange held Sasha once when she had a nightmare. She was the only one who could get through to Sasha, since Connie went back home to his village during that time. I didn't know what to do."</p><p>"Ah." </p><p>"She was also the one who stopped me from killing you," Mikasa continued, and Levi scoffed. "I was <em>this </em>close. It would've been satisfying at that time."</p><p>"All for your boyfriend, huh?"</p><p>"He's not my—oh <em>forget it, </em>you annoying midget."</p><p>Levi didn't respond to that, choosing to keep his eyes on the road with an amused smirk.</p><p>Mikasa broke the silence. "Do you think Hange will get her memories back?” </p><p>“Maybe,” he replied as he maneuvered the car to turn right. “Maybe not.”</p><p>Levi thought that would've been the end of it, but Mikasa wasn't finished yet. "She always thought that she was never enough as a commander. Hange did what she could with what she had, right? I mean . . . not even Commander—I mean, <em>Erwin</em>—could have fathomed what was beyond the walls."</p><p>He was fully-aware of the sacrifices Hange had made once she became Commander. Her fascination with learning became necessary, as she embraced the world of politics and international relations with an open mind. At that time, Levi wasn't certain if she had made the right call. But he knew her enough to know that Hange understood him, in ways that he didn't realize. Even though he kept his mouth shut unless necessary. She grew to despise senseless violence and treasured his opinion on trying to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible.</p><p>That was just the kind of person Hange was. She was kind, and had treated the 104th kids like they were her own children. Levi could remember the amount of broken chairs, the screams and the shouts, the many tears that escaped her eyes and streaked her cheeks the night Sasha had died. Hange had only stopped when he took her bleeding fingers into his hands and held them to his chest. Even with no words leaving his lips, she breathed, dropping her forehead into the crook of his neck. </p><p>No matter how smart Hange was, she couldn't bring back the dead, and she hated it with every fiber of her being.  </p><p>He hated seeing her like that, angry and vulnerable because of the consequences war had brought upon them. Levi could remember the way he held her in his arms, placating a person as broken as he was because he couldn't bear to see her hurt.</p><p>It must've destroyed her heart a million times over to see Eren, a boy she had taken care of for five years, turn out the way he did. </p><p>"She did good" was all Levi said, and Mikasa huffed in response.</p><hr/><p>“<em>Oi, </em>shitty-glasses, you look like you’re fuckin’ constipated.” </p><p>“You caught me, Levi. I haven’t had a shit in two days,” Hange said seriously, placing a tentative hand under her chin. “Thank you for your concern, though.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes but remained silent, knowing that she was (hopefully) most likely lying. It was easy for him to fall back to his rhythmic banter with Hange. Three in the morning was when Levi would normally see her, so he officially took over part of Eld’s shift recklessly. Eld had nodded profusely, giving him a thumbs up and cheering him on. Petra (supportive girl that she was) made sure to take care of random errands, so Levi had no choice but to take over the counter. </p><p>Levi was well-aware that the way his heart skipped a beat was remnants of his feelings for her, and was something that (much to his chagrin) the others had noticed as well. Mikasa wouldn’t say anything, but the small smirk on her lips and the glint in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. Erwin was much more vocal about his sentiments, and it had annoyed him that the former commander had noticed his silent devotion to the hyper scientist without Levi even mentioning it.</p><p>Nonetheless, there was something Levi was sure of, and it was his decision to never tell Hange his feelings. No matter how much Erwin pushed, or Mikasa and Armin may tease, he was perfectly content watching her from the sidelines and supporting her whenever necessary. </p><p>Just like he had willingly done before, when he chose the fate of humanity over a possible future with her. Seeing her alive and safe in the new world was enough for him. </p><p>
  <em> “I think it’s important to allow yourself more freedom especially in a world where it’s taken for granted.” </em>
</p><p>Levi wiped the counter clean as he shook the intruding thoughts away. He decided to allow Hange the time to think about her order for about another minute before he whips up the same thing she normally got in the cafe. </p><p>“Levi, can I have something with ten shots of espresso?”</p><p>He looked at her incredulously. “No,” he answered. Hange opened her mouth to speak, but Levi cut her off immediately. “It’s still a no.” </p><p>“You didn’t even know what I was going to say,” the professor said, a hint of a pout on her lips and disappointment written all over her face.</p><p>“You were gonna ask if eight shots was okay, right?” Levi retorted smoothly. He knew her too well. She nodded slowly. “It’s three shots or nothing for you, Hange.”</p><p>Hange sighed, slumping on the counter. “Pleaaaaase, Levi,” she whined, pushing her glasses up her nose. “I need the energy.” </p><p>“Oi, I just cleaned that,” Levi muttered. He hit her head lightly with the menu in his hand. She looked up at him, pleading. He ignored her. “Stand up, shitty-glasses. Why can’t you just order the same thing you always do?”</p><p>“Because,” Hange started, standing straight up and looking Levi in the eye. He raised an eyebrow, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat for a split second. “It’s not enough. If I want to finish this research proposal I <em> need </em>caffeine in my system to keep me alive.” </p><p>“Can’t you just submit it after the holidays or something?” Levi asked. He watched suspiciously as Hange started fiddling with her thumbs, looking away to avoid his gaze. “Hange.” Her name left his lips firmly. </p><p>“I wanted to finish it early so that I wouldn’t have to work on the holidays,” Hange replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “This is the first time someone’s invited me to a Christmas party.” </p><p>She had looked so vulnerable with the way she said it, and Levi wondered for a brief moment if this new world had been kind to Hange the way it had been to him. She still avoided his scrutiny, refusing to look in his eyes even when he sighed, giving in to understanding. </p><p>“You get four shots.”  </p><p>“Five.” </p><p>“Four or nothing, four-eyes.” </p><p>“<em> Fine </em>.”</p><p>“Same order?”</p><p>“Same order. Four shots.” </p><p>He got to work quickly, practiced hands going through the assortment of drinks with ease. From the corner of his eye, he could see Hange flipping through the menu, as if contemplating a second order. Briefly, Levi wondered if she had already eaten. </p><p>“Have you even had something to eat<em> , </em>shitty-glasses?” he asked offhandedly, slightly startling Hange. </p><p>Hange nodded her head, gesturing to her backpack. “Moblit made me sandwiches a while ago. I couldn’t finish the entire pack so I thought I’d just have them for breakfast!” </p><p>Levi remembered Moblit. He only had one personal conversation with the guy: when he told Moblit (in the most Levi way possible, which meant that it was bound to be misconstrued or misinterpreted, especially if Hange wasn’t around) to always take care of Hange. Moblit followed that promise, until the very end, it seemed. While most people would’ve assumed that Moblit vexed Levi, the dark-haired man was actually glad that the two friends had found each other again because he knew Moblit was dear to Hange’s heart.</p><p>He hummed in acknowledgement before placing Hange’s order on the counter. “Here, shitty-glasses,” he said, and Hange perked up immediately. </p><p>“Aaww, Levi, you didn’t say my name,” she groaned teasingly. </p><p>“Really? I think <em> Shitty-glasses </em>suits you just fine.” </p><p>“Okay then, keep your nicknames and I keep my coffee,” Hange retaliated weakly as she stuck her tongue out immaturely. “How much do I owe you?” </p><p>Levi shook his head. “On the house.” </p><p>“Eh? But Levi, you added like four shots of espresso, how much—” </p><p>“Just shut up and take it,” Levi interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. “Finish your research or whatever.” </p><p>“This is the third time this week you’ve treated me! It’s <em> unfair, </em>Levi. I’m a friend, and I should support your establishment!” Hange flailed her arms around animatedly, her money in her hand. </p><p>Levi ignored her panicked rambling, choosing to focus on wiping the counter clean for a second time that morning. He didn’t respond to her antics and the way she drawled his name, her voice enunciating every possible syllable, “Leeeevaaaaaiiii.”</p><p>It was only when she stopped that he looked at her, smirking triumphantly. What he didn’t expect was to be met with Hange’s own winning smile. She winked at him and took her cup of cold brew nitro before turning around and heading over to her usual spot in the cafe, the sound of her heels clicking on the floor as she walked. </p><p>Levi’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, and he wondered what had gotten her to cave so quickly this time. He watched her set down her drink and pull out her sandwiches. She took out her laptop and iPad and created a haven of her own, in a secluded area at the opposite end of the room. Levi sighed in satisfaction, allowing a small smile to grace his lips as he returned to work.</p><p>He walked towards the counter and was about to ring the tiny bell twice to call Petra, but something caught his eye. That was when he realized why Hange had willingly left as easily as she did. </p><p>Levi noticed a ten dollar bill folded inside the tip jar with a note attached to it. He squinted his eyes to read what was written on it. </p><p> </p><p><em> To Levi, </em> <em><br/></em> <em> I win this round.  </em></p><p>
  <em> - Shitty-Glasses </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you for reading the second installment of "remember me when the stars align!" </p><p>(the first installment is called Epiphany, which is Erwin's POV in this reincarnation! au series)</p><p>don't worry, this isn't the end yet! ;) this will be continued in another series from ✨Hange's✨ POV. </p><p>(i might make an eremika multi-chap fic also, but im still uncertain how to go about it because I have a hate-hate relationship with eren right now 🤡)</p><p>feel free to follow me on tumblr and send me writing prompts ;) @arek-xandura</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is epiphany's partner fic! I hope you guys enjoy ehehe &lt;3 thank u for reading and i hope to see u all again very soon.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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